With the Pune FC striker injured for up to eight weeks, Ayush Srivastava has a look at the options Savio Medeira has upfront to replace the Mizo striker....
By Ayush Srivastava
AIFF
While concern over the Pune FC player’s injury speaks volumes about the progress the forward has made over the last year, it also exposes the fact that the Indian cupboard is bare of options upfront.
Behind Sunil Chhetri and Jeje in the pecking order is Shillong Lajong’s new recruit Sushil Kumar Singh. The Manipuri striker has not exactly lived up to the promise he showed in his earlier years, and while successive Indian coaches have kept faith in the striker, his performances on the pitch have shown their confidence in him as being misplaced. As much as the coaches claim that he is a class act in the training sessions, the number of chances he misses only goes to highlight the lack of finishing skills in the player.
He often completely disappears in vital games and needs to beef up both physically and mentally if he is to be considered as a viable option upfront in the long-term. Hopefully for him, playing regularly for Shillong Lajong in the coming few weeks might help him regain his form and confidence.
Abranches Has The Talent, But Is In Dreadful Form....
The other two strikers who have featured in Savio Medeira’s recent plans are C.S Sabeeth and Joaquim Abranches.The former has not really had a vintage season for Pailan Arrows this campaign, having signed from Chirag United Kerala in the summer with the club management hoping he would be an effective replacement for Jeje this season.
However the Keralite, who was so impressive for the erstwhile Viva Kerala last season, has often been marooned upfront all alone for the Arrows. With the ultra defensive tactics employed by the club, even when Sabeeth does manage to hold on to the ball, he is often several yards away from the nearest team-mate and ends up losing possession. With the Arrows not able to create enough chances, Sabeeth has scored a paltry 4 goals this season, which seems to have dented his confidence. And if he continues to play for Arrows, his confidence in front of goal shall go further down.
That though, is twice as many goals as Joaquim Abranches has managed this season. The Goan is known to have the quality to play at the highest level, but form and fitness seems to desert the player at key moments during the season.
The above mentioned duo definitely have the talent to represent India on the international stage, but with their struggles this season, it is debatable whether they can take Jeje’s place in the starting line-up.
Baljit And Robin Singh Have Been Too Inconsistent...
Two other strikers who could and perhaps should be part of the Indian caravan are Baljit Sahni and Robin Singh of
East Bengal. While they have the talent, they are equally frustrating
to watch as they often mix the brilliant with the ridiculous. Who can
forget Sahni's bicycle-kick against Churchill Brothers on matchday one
when he cleared the ball for the opposition after Robin had flicked it
for him inside the box!This has especially been the case this season, where lack of form and injuries has seen them score a measly five goal between themselves, which makes it difficult for anyone to project them as starters for the national team.
The most promising striker on the Indian scene at the moment is perhaps Air India’s promising young striker Manandeep Singh.
The youngster was a part of the Indian Arrows setup last season and has hit the ground running with his new employers Air India this term, scoring six goals and impressing with his all-round game.
He is rated highly by fans and pundits alike, and with his former Arrows team-mate being injured, Manandeep might be given a chance to prove his mettle at the highest stage, provided he continues in his present rich vein of form.
Victorino Fernandes Could Be The Wildcard Up Medeira's Sleeve....
Other players who might have an outside chance of a call-up are Sporting Clube de Goa’s Victorino Fernandes, who has been impressive upfront for the promoted Goan outfit and Ashim Biswas,
who once broke through onto the international scene with much promise,
only to lose his way. He has chipped in with four goals for Mohun Bagan
this season, but it would be a real surprise if the striker got
re-called into the national team after more than half a decade out of
the reckoning.Jeje’s club colleague, Subash Singh too might be in with an outside chance, if he manages to grab the opportunity that shall be handed to him thanks to his team-mate’s injury with both hands.
Two other players who have prior experience with the national team are Mohammed Rafi of Churchill Brothers and Abhishek Yadav of Mumbai FC. However neither player has produced anything of note for their respective teams this season and it seems highly improbable that either would get the call to board the flight to Nepal in March.
So what is abundantly clear is, that while the country has enough number of strikers at the top level, the quality that Jeje brings into the team is clearly missing amongst his likely replacements. So the fanatic Indian supporters will have to hope for a miraculous recovery for the Mizo striker, or for another domestic talent to rise to the forefront, pretty much like the Pune FC lad grabbed the limelight at this time of the season last year, for the country to have any chance of qualifying for the 2015 Asian Cup.